Under the Mistletoe
by midnightshipper
Summary: Advanceshipping. The gang heads to Hoen for the Holidays! Two best friends will be reunited, but are they content with their relationship status? Full Summary Inside! Rated T for minor language and beginning dream sequence


Hi, and welcome to "Under the Mistletoe"! This story was originally started during the holidays, which explains the out-of-season story. Hope you enjoy! This is chapter is one of three!

Summary: May hasn't spent quality time with Ash in a couple of years. Aside from letters, phone calls, and the occasional competition, they've both been busy with their separate journeys. Now that they're journeys have winded down for a bit, the gang heads towards Petalburg for the holidays to once again be united. Advanceshipping, Rated T for slight language and beginning dream sequence

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon, but if I did, Advanceshipping and Rocketshipping would be cannon!

**Chapter 1**

MAY

_"I love you May."_

_Those four words are the words that made me feel like the luckiest person on the planet. To hear him say them right now felt like nothing short of a miracle to me. My eyes immediately welled up with tears of joy._

_"I love you too, Ash," I whispered as the space between us slowly started to close. My arms wrapped around his neck, and he pulled me tight against his strong frame._

_The kiss was slow, sweet and innocent, like most first kisses are. Soon however, his tongue sought entrance, which was immediately granted. I savored the pepperminty taste of his breath, signaling to me that he had just brushed his teeth. I hope that I remembered to brush mine..._

_"May?" A voice called from a short distance._

_Alarms went off in my head and I nearly bit down on his tongue in shock. Ash didn't seem to notice the voice or the fact that I nearly jumped out of my skin._

_"May?!" the voice of my father drew nearer._

_I tried to pull away but found my body immobile. Was I paralyzed? I tried to speak, but found that the only sound I could make was a low moan. What was happening? If my father found us here, making out in my bedroom, he would personally make it his life's mission to murder Ash. Couldn't he hear him coming? I don't understand!_

_Finally, the moment I was dreading came as the doorknob started to turn. I made one last feeble attempt to warn Ash, but it proved futile like all of the others. I could see the daunting figure standing frozen in the doorway, "MAY!"_

..........................

I awoke with a start to find myself in a world filled with the brightest sunlight. Rubbing my unadjusted eyes to rid of sleep, my vision slowly came to me. Soon, I found myself face to face with the man I had just been afraid of. I nearly shrieked, but refrained from doing so last second.

"May?" he asked, uncomfortably pulling on the collar of his shirt.

I looked at him with a petrified expression, my back gone rigid. _Damn!_ I knew that I had a habit of talking in my sleep and it was quite obvious that my father heard what i had been dreaming. My cheeks grew warm.

"Y-your mother wanted me to tell you that breakfast was ready," he stated, slowly regaining his composure, "And to be ready to go down to the docks after."

Suddenly, none of the uncomfortable things that just transpired mattered anymore. I eagerly threw my covers off of me and scrambled out of bed to look at my Torchic wall calendar. Today was circled, and the days before marked off with large cross-marks. Ash, Brock, Dawn, Ms. Ketchum, and Professor Oak were coming today. But most imporatntly, and the only thing that mattered to me, Ash was coming. Forgetting that my father was in the room, I squealed and eagerly ran over to my closet, pulling all of it's contents out. What was I going to wear?!!

........................................................

NORMAN

_There are no stranger creatures than teenage girls. _

This is the statement I often abided by when i was a young lad myself, but now, looking at my frenzied daughter tearing apart her closet, I realize that this statement will always reign true. Shaking my head, I closed her bedroom door and headed downstairs to the kitchen where my wife, Caroline, was setting out fresh coffee for us and orange juice for the rest of the family.

I sat down and grasped my coffee cup with both hands, savoring the fresh smell of the black steamy liquid. In my coffee cup I could see many things reflected in the reflection of my eyes. Kind of like my own personal memory pool. I smiled sadly. May gave me this mug when she was six, and it was painted with the careful precision of a kindergardener. _Those were the days.._

"Daddy! Happy Birthday Daddy! i love you!" she had said, "You're the bestest Daddy in the whole wide world!" Where had those days gone?

"Norman?" my wife set a stack blueberry pancakes as the table's centerfold and sat down next to me, "Honey, are you alright?"

"How did she grow up so fast?" I asked quietly, sadly.

Caroline looked at me with kind, sympathetic eyes, "There's nothing that could've prevented it. It's completely natural for her to grow up. What brought all of this on?"

"I heard her talking in her sleep," I grumbled lightly, "Should she really be taking an interest in boys already?"

My wife laughed beside me and took a sip of her coffee, "Norman, she's a seventeen year-old girl. Of coarse she's going to be interested in boys," she paused thoughtfully and then smiled, "Ash?"

Flabbergasted, I stared at her, "How in the world....?"

She winked playfully at me, "Mother's intuition."

"Ready!!" came a voice as May slid into the room cheerily and posed for us, "What do you think?"

Being a typical guy, I wasn't in on women's clothing styles. She looked pretty though, and covered, in her green turtleneck sweater-dress and black leggings and boots. Even though it didn't show much skin, I can see that it hugged every inch of her, no doubt a teaser for Ash. I sighed, "You look nice sweetie." This was all I could muster to say.

.........................................................

CAROLINE

"Beautiful May," I said softly, though, I wasn't sure if I was talking more to myself or my daughter. Something inside me welled up with a mixture of emotions as i looked at her. Norman was right. She was grown up, and my vision was growing blurry. Around her neck was the makeshift necklace she always wore now; a simple gold chain with half of a contest ribbon on it. The story behind it was one that i'd heard many times over the past couple of years, but i knew that the most important part was that Ash held the other half.

May's expression changed quickly from joyful to concerned, "What's the matter Mom?"

I realized that my eyes were filled with tears and quickly blinked them away. I shook my head and smiled, "I'm fine dear. Sit down and eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

My son Max decided to finally make an appearance, it seems. My fourteen year-old walks into the kitchen yawning, to find all eyes turned on him. He stands there and looks at us with a blank expression before shrugging it off and sitting at the table, mumbling something about weird people.

Chuckling to myself, I stabbed a pancake with my fork and placed in on my plate. Max was never much of a morning person....

.............................................................

MAX

My sister was so bouncy and excited that she could hardly contain herself as we all waited on the wooden boast docks, situated in the Petalburg Harbor. Even if we were in Sinnoh and the wind-chill was minus fifty, I doubt my sister would be phased. The air was somewhat chilly and the ground had a couple of inches of snow, but the sun still shone giving us an ounce of warmth. The Hoen region was well-known for nice weather.

"Geez May, calm down before you hurt yourself!" I grunted, receiving in response a quick, playful shove.

"Aww, Max, don't be such a killjoy!" she giggled. May was soaring, and absolutely nothing could bring her down today, or at least, in this moment. I couldn't help but smile a little.

Ash Ketchum, pokemon trainer, had been with my sister from the very start of her own pokemon journey seven years ago. He taught her everything she knows and more... Most importantly, he became the best friend that she had ever had. There's something between Ash and my sister that could never be duplicated, a flame that can never be extinguished. He is the best thing that ever happened to her and, as much as I hate to admit it, it makes me happy to see May glow whenever he's around. I hold a great deal of respect for Ash Ketchum.

A blaring horn sounded, snapping me out of my muse.

"He's here!" I heard my giddy sister squeal.

I rolled my eyes, "_They're_ here," I corrected, trying to remind her that there was in fact, more than just one person arriving. I heard my mother giggle from behind me and my dad shifted positions.

Watching as the bridge was lowered and stabilized between the boat and the dock, I mentally braced myself for whatever was to come...

............................................................

ASH

I immediately bolted forward when the bridge was lowered, hoping to be the first one off the boat. However, my mother had other intentions. She grabbed my backpack and pulled me with force back to her. Pikachu clung to my shoulder for dear life.

My mother had an annoyed look on her face as I gave her a sheepish grin. She sighed, "Ash Ketchum, you are staying with the group and getting off the boat with the rest of us."

I mentally rolled my eyes, not wanting to provoke her, "Yes mom."

Dawn poked me teasingly, "Aww, Mrs. Ketchum, don't be so hard on him. He's just excited to see _May_," she chided, putting full-emphasis on the name "May".

My cheeks felt suddenly red-hot, "Hey, I'm excited to see all of them!"

"Yeah, but especially May," the young girl stuck out her tongue as I fumed silently, trying to come up with a counter argument.

I couldn't.

"Ha!" Dawn pointed at me with a smug expression, "I knew it!"

Brock, my self-appointed older brother decided that this would be a proper time to intervene. He waved his hands in a motion that suggested we calm down, "Alright you two, enough. We're not here to bicker."

"Pfft, tell that to her.." I immaturely muttered so low that only Pikachu could hear me. The little yellow mouse chortled from his perch on my shoulder.

The tall, tan pokemon breeder sighed from where he stood in between me and my bluenette friend and took a step forward, assuming the position of leader, "Alright, if everyone's all set, we should probably-"

"Pikachu-pi!"

The rest of Brock's words were drowned out by the loud, excited cry of my faithful partner as he leapt from my shoulder, paused to catch a whiff of something, then bolted towards the crowd of people leaving the boat.

I stood in a momentary shock as his words hit me. _Pikachu-pi? That was his name for... _"May!" I gasped audibly, receiving strange stares from my traveling companions. Without a second thought, I dashed forward, hoping to catch a glimpse of yellow fur, or perhaps, a green bandana...

..............................................................

MAY

I swear, if there was ever a girl more impatient than I was at this moment, I'd be in awe. Waiting for this boy was like waiting for rain to fall in a drought. It seemed ages, and it was totally unpredictable. My parents and brother waited patiently beside me and I almost wished that I could just be like them.

But I couldn't.

Because I, unlike them, was waiting for a young, wide-eyed, confident trainer, in hopes of making him more than just merely my best friend. They were just waiting for the company of others, while I was eager for the man of my dreams. I realize that this may sound a bit conceited, or condescending, but it was one hundred percent of what

I really felt. Scowling slightly at my own logic, I tried to breathe like a normal person and calm myself.

"Pikachu Pi!"

_That cry..._ I turned my body towards the sound just in time to catch a small bundle of yellow fur in my arms, "Pikachu!" I hugged the pokemon happily and scanned the surrounding area quickly. _He can't be to far behind... _On queue, another voice sounded. It was a familiar raspy male voice that I knew all to well.

"Pikachu, get back here!"

My heartbeat quickened as I saw the trainer emerge from the crowd, "Ash..."

The boy stopped in his tracks about ten feet from where I was standing and stared. I briefly wondered what was going through his mind but stopped when he flashed his traditional boyish grin at me, "Hey May," he said, "Long time, no see."

With those words said, I couldn't contain myself any longer. I dropped Pikachu, much to his disdain, and ran straight after my best friend of seven years. The world spun around me as he took me into his strong arms and twirled me, much like in one of my favorite romance movies. I nuzzled my face into his chest and took in his scent. It was wonderful, musky, and just him.

He chuckled and I could feel his body vibrate from the sound, "Miss me?"

I looked up into his chocolate brown eyes and smiled, "You have no idea."

He squeezed me lightly, "I missed you too."

"Ashton Ketchum!" a woman's voice sounded.

Ash immediately let go of me and instead stood cowering behind me, "Oh man..."

**END OF CHAPTER**

**Please Review! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! ^_^ Look forward to the next installment!**


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